The #7 seed Meralco Bolts led by as much as 34 and cruised to a 96-79 victory against the #2 seed Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Meanwhile, the #3 seed TNT Tropang 5G advanced to semi-finals with a convincing 118-109 win against the #6 seed Magnolia Hotshots on December 27.
Here are the players who made the biggest impact and the stats to prove it:
TOP PERFORMERS OF THE DAY:
Calvin John Oftana TNT SF 25 PTS | 5 AST | 1 BLK | 39.9 FPS
Oftana came up big in the final quarter, dropping 11 points to help secure the win. He was on fire from distance, knocking down 5-of-6 threes and finished with his third 24-point game of the tournament and his seventh consecutive 15-point performance.
Andy Mark Barroca MAG PG 14 PTS | 3 REB | 13 AST | 39.1 FPS
Barocca delivered in his last two games both against TNT, averaging 15 points and 9 assists. He ended the conference, averaging 10.8 points and 5.3 assists.
Zavier Lucero MAG PF 22 PTS | 13 REB | 1 AST | 36.1 FPS
Lucero led the way in offense, shooting at 61.5% from two and finishing with his fourth 20-point outing of the conference. He also recorded his sixth 10-rebound game and finished the conference, averaging 17.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
Brandon Arnell Ganuelas-Rosser TNT PF 15 PTS | 9 REB | 1 BLK | 32.8 FPS
BGR has been inconsistent this conference, but he’s beginning to find his rhythm, averaging 11 points and 8.5 rebounds over his last four games. He was also a key contributor in last conference’s finals, making a strong impact on both scoring and blocking.
Jerom Lastimosa MAG PG 18 PTS | 5 AST | 1 STL | 28.9 FPS
Lastimosa made an immediate impact in his return, posting his fifth 15-point game and sixth 5-assist game of the year. He finished the conference, averaging 13.1 points per game while shooting 58.4% from two-point range.
Crispin John Cansino MER SF 14 PTS | 8 REB | 2 STL | 34.6 FPS
Cansino matched the team’s top scoring mark, led the team with his fourth 8-rebound game of the year and also made a solid impact in defense. He’s been a reliable contributor, averaging 18.75 points and 5.2 rebounds this conference.
Jansen Rios MER SF 12 PTS | 5 REB | 4 STL | 33.0 FPS
Rios shined on both ends. Offensively, he knocked down 3-of-4 from long range and improved to 10-for-11 in the conference. He was just as impactful on defense, recording a conference-best mark in steals.
Gian Robert Mamuyac ROS SG 16 PTS | 5 REB | 2 STL | 25.5 FPS
Mamuyac shot a perfect 7-for-7 at the line, finished with at least 14 points for the fourth time in his last five and also added his third 5-rebound game in his last three outings.
Gabriel Daniel Norwood ROS PF 9 PTS | 9 REB | 1 STL | 22.8 FPS
Norwood has stayed highly productive in his last conference, scoring 9+ points for the seventh time and collecting 8+ rebounds for the fifth time.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE DAY:
Caelan Tiongson ROS PF 6 PTS | 6 REB | 3 AST
Tiongson struggled in offense, finishing 3-of-13 from the field and missing all seven of his attempts from three. He has now scored fewer than 10 twice since his return from injury.
